In this era where thinness is considered beautiful, over 50% of the population in our country is overweight or obese, and weight loss has become a hot topic on everyone’s lips.
However, many people have misconceptions about weight loss. Most people trying to lose weight hope to see their weight constantly decreasing every day, which is not a reasonable expectation.
You must understand that changes in body weight do not follow a straight line downwards; instead, weight can fluctuate during the weight loss process. If you are solely focused on seeing the numbers on the scale drop every day, you may end up very disappointed.
Research shows that a person’s weight can be affected by various factors, such as the saltiness of food, the intake and excretion of water, food digestion and absorption, muscle growth, etc.
Sometimes, if you consume a high-salt meal one day, your body may retain more water the next day, leading to a temporary increase in weight. This is not gaining fat; it is a normal physiological response.
If you drink two bottles of water when you are thirsty, you may notice a weight increase of about 4.4 pounds in a short period, but after your body expels the excess water, your weight will decrease.
When trying to lose weight, stop being trapped by the unrealistic idea of “losing weight every day.” The focus should be on achieving a healthy body fat percentage rather than fixating solely on weight.
The body fat percentage is the key indicator that reflects whether you are overweight or not; fat molecules are relatively large and expend less energy. Excess fat can make you appear bulky and overweight.
Many people choose to replace meals with fruit to quickly reduce weight, consuming only a few hundred calories a day. While this approach may lead to rapid weight loss, most of the loss during this process is water and muscle, with very little fat being broken down, leading to a decrease in basal metabolic rate.
Once you return to a normal diet, your body will work hard to store energy, and the excess calories will be converted to fat, causing your weight to rebound quickly and leading to a regained figure.
You need to understand that the goal of weight loss is to reduce body fat percentage, not just to lose weight.
During the weight loss process, when you supplement with quality protein and focus on strength training, you will find that as your body fat percentage decreases, your muscle mass may increase. However, your weight may not show significant changes, but your body shape will gradually become firmer, and your waistline will reduce, which is also a sign of losing fat.
